The goal of the MARC U-STAR Program at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus (UPRM) is to enhance the training environment for biology and chemistry undergraduate honors students as a way of improving their preparedness for graduate training in biomedical sciences. This will be achieved through on- and off-campus research experiences, a special science curriculum, weekly meetings, a GRE workshop, and seminars. Activities for freshmen and sophomore students are proposed as a way of acquainting these students with research careers and opportunities in biomedical sciences. A presentation on research careers and opportunities in biomedical sciences will be offered to all freshmen in the biology and chemistry departments through a presentation in a required course on adaptation to university life. Six summer on-campus workshops will be offered to freshmen and sophomore students as a way of providing them with training in skills and methodologies beyond the regular laboratory practices. The objectives of the MARC U-STAR Program at UPRM are: 1) to increase by 50% the number of freshmen and sophomore students from the departments of biology and chemistry that participate in on-campus summer workshops, 2) to maintain at 100% the number of MARC trainees that participate in biomedical sciences related research, 3) to maintain at least, the current level of MARC trainees (78.7%) that enroll in Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. programs. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]